Elmgren v. Ineos USA, LLC

431 S.W.3d 657, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3065, 2014 WL 1677545
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedMarch 20, 2014
DocketNo. 14-13-00044-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 431 S.W.3d 657 (Elmgren v. Ineos USA, LLC) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Elmgren v. Ineos USA, LLC, 431 S.W.3d 657, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3065, 2014 WL 1677545 (Tex. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

SUBSTITUTE OPINION

MARC W. BROWN, Justice.

Appellants Johannes “Joe” Elmgren and Valarie Elmgren, both individually as next friends for their minor children (collectively, the “Elmgrens”), appeal the trial court’s summary judgment in favor of ap-pellees, Ineos USA, LLC f/k/a Innovene USA, LLC, Ineos Polymers, Inc., a/k/a Ineos Olefins, Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA, a division of Ineos USA, LLC (collectively, “Ineos”), and Jonathan “Bubba” Pavlovsky, on all its claims. Joe was working for Ineos’ subcontractor pursuant to a maintenance services contract. White replacing valves on a de-coke header system at Ineos’ plant, Joe suffered burns [660]*660from an explosion and release of superheated gas. The Elmgrens present five issues, four of which relate to chapter 95 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code: (1) whether chapter 95 applies at all; (2) whether Ineos and Pavlovsky conclusively proved chapter 95 applies; (3) whether there is a fact issue on Ineos’ and Pavlovsky’s control over the work being performed; and (4) whether there is a fact issue on Ineos’ and Pavlovsky’s actual knowledge of the danger or condition resulting in Joe’s injuries. The Elmgrens also argue that the trial court erred in denying their motion to compel responses to a production request for the names of Ineos’ process engineers. Although we deny Ineos’ and Pavlovsky’s motion for rehearing, we withdraw the opinion issued in this case on March 20, 2014, and issue this substitute opinion. We affirm in part, and reverse and remand in part.

I. Factual and PROCEDURAL Background

Appellant Johannes “Joe” Elmgren was employed as a boilermaker by Zachry Industrial, Inc. Zachry had contracted with Ineos Olefins & Polymers USA, a division of Ineos USA, LLC, to perform maintenance services at Ineos’ plant. Joe reported to work at the plant at approximately 7:00 p.m. on June 22, 2010. Joe’s task was to replace valves on a de-coke header on the Olefins # 2 DDB 101B furnace. Joe’s Zachry supervisor, David Robin, and In-eos’ operator, Clint Pierce, conducted a lock out tag out (LOTO) procedure to ensure there was no gas present in the line. A sniff test for gas was performed at approximately 8:30 p.m. with a zero result. Ineos issued the work permit for the valve replacement. At approximately 3:00 a.m., during the process of removing the second valve, superheated gas was released in an explosion that resulted in burns to Joe’s torso, neck, and jaw line.

The Elmgrens brought claims against Ineos and Pavlovsky for negligence and wrongful termination. The Elmgrens also sought exemplary damages. Pavlovsky is the working team leader over furnace maintenance at Ineos. Ineos and Pavlov-sky filed traditional and no-evidence motions for summary judgment. Under their traditional motions, they argued that they qualified for protection from liability under chapter 95; they were not liable as a matter of law because they did not exercise or retain control, either contractually or actually, over the manner in which Joe’s work was performed; and they were not liable as a matter of law because they had no actual knowledge of the danger or condition resulting in Joe’s injuries. Under their no-evidence motions, Ineos and Pav-lovsky argued that the Elmgrens produced no evidence of control over the work performed by Joe and no evidence of actual knowledge as required by chapter 95. The Elmgrens responded that chapter 95 did not apply to Pavlovsky because he is not a property owner, Ineos retained contractual and actual control over Joe’s work, and Ineos had actual knowledge of the danger or condition resulting in Joe’s injuries. The Elmgrens also argued that chapter 95 does not apply to their claims in this situation because they “arise from Ineos’ direct role in informing Zachry’s crew that the system was safe to proceed.”1

[661]*661The parties filed various other motions, including the Elmgrens’ motion to compel the identity of Ineos’ process engineers. The Elmgrens took additional depositions. Ultimately, after an oral hearing, the trial court granted Ineos’ and Pavlovsky’s motions for summary judgment. The trial court expressly found that chapter 95 applied to the Elmgrens’ claims for- personal injury; there was no genuine issue as to any material fact, and Ineos and Pavlovsky were entitled to judgment as a matter of law on all of the Elmgrens’ claims; and Ineos and Pavlovsky did not exercise or retain control over Joe’s work, and did not have actual knowledge of the danger or condition resulting in his injuries and fail to adequately warn. The judgment stated that it finally disposed of all of the Elm-grens’ claims. The Elmgrens timely appealed.

II. Summary Judgment Standards

We review the trial court’s granting of summary judgment de novo. Ferguson v. Bldg. Materials Corp. of Am., 295 S.W.3d 642, 644 (Tex.2009) (per curiam) (citation omitted). Ineos’ and Pavlovsky’s motions for summary judgment are hybrid traditional and no-evidence motions. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(c), (i). To the extent necessary, we therefore apply the established standards of review for each. Brockert v. Wyeth Pharm., Inc., 287 S.W.3d 760, 764 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2009, no pet.). To be entitled to summary judgment under rule 166a(e), a movant must establish that there is no genuine issue of material fact so that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Mann Frankfort Stein & Lipp Advisors, Inc. v. Fielding, 289 S.W.3d 844, 848 (Tex.2009). If the movant’s motion and summary judgment evidence facially establish its right to judgment as a matter of law, the burden shifts to the nonmovant to raise a genuine, material fact issue sufficient to defeat summary judgment. See M.D. Anderson Hosp. & Tumor Inst. v. Willrich, 28 S.W.3d 22, 23 (Tex.2000) (per curiam). A genuine issue of material fact exists if more than a scintilla of evidence establishing the existence of the challenged element is produced. Ford Motor Co. v. Ridgway, 135 S.W.3d 598, 600 (Tex.2004) (citation omitted).

A no-evidence motion for summary judgment must be granted if: (1) the moving party asserts that there is no evidence of one or more specified elements of a claim or defense on which the adverse party would have the burden of proof at trial and (2) the respondent produces no summary judgment evidence raising a genuine issue of material fact on those elements. See Tex.R. Civ. P. 166a(i); Mayer v. Willow-brook Plaza Ltd. P’ship, 278 S.W.3d 901, 908 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2009, no pet.). We sustain a no-evidence summary judgment where: (1) there is a complete absence of evidence of a vital fact, (2) the court is barred by rules of law or of evidence from giving weight to the only evidence offered to prove a vital fact, (3) the evidence offered to prove a vital fact is no more than a mere scintilla, or (4) the evidence conclusively establishes the opposite of the vital fact. Lowe’s Home Ctrs., Inc. v. GSW Mktg., Inc., 293 S.W.3d 283, 287-88 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2009, pet. denied) (citing Merrell Dow Pharm., Inc.

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431 S.W.3d 657, 2014 Tex. App. LEXIS 3065, 2014 WL 1677545, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/elmgren-v-ineos-usa-llc-texapp-2014.